Ricky Allen Mayber, who pleaded guilty to robbing a First National Bank in Boulder after being turned in by his wife, was sentenced Thursday to four years in prison.

Mayber, 50, pleaded guilty to theft from a person -- a Class 5 felony -- in November after police say he entered First National Bank, 3033 Iris Ave., on Aug. 21 and handed a note to a teller demanding money.

Mayber walked out of the bank with $4,063 but was arrested a day later after his wife recognized him from surveillance photos taken during the robbery.

Deputy District Attorney John Kellner pointed out that the robbery was just four days after he pleaded guilty to identity theft and was placed on probation, which made it hard to believe Mayber was being sincere when he told the judge he promised to change his ways.

"I find those to be very hollow promises from a person who, four days after he pleads guilty to a felony, walks into a bank and robs it," Kellner said.

Both Mayber's wife -- with whom he is in divorce proceedings -- and his ex-wife spoke at the sentencing hearing and said that Mayber had a gambling problem. His ex-wife said at one point he raided the savings account of one of his children.

"This sort of escalating behavior is dangerous to the public," Kellner said. "The community should know when you do this sort of thing, you should go to prison."

Mayber's attorney Kathryn Herold argued for probation and work release, saying Mayber didn't have an extensive criminal history and that the teller ultimately told police she never felt threatened and even described Mayber as "sad" and "pathetic."

"He's had 120 days in prison to reflect on how dumb he was," she said. "This is not the type of person who should be sent to prison."

After initially declining, Mayber spoke at the hearing, saying he took "full responsibility" for what he had done.

"What hurts the most is I lost a lot of people and disappointed a lot of people," he said.

"There is legitimate concern about your level of sincerity in accepting responsibility," Mulvahill said. "The bottom line is, Mr. Mayber, you don't get to come into court and plead guilty on Friday and rob a bank on Tuesday and get probation."

Mulvahill also sentenced Mayber to two years in prison for violating his probation in the identity theft case, but he will serve that sentence concurrently with his theft sentence.